Bonds Guy Pitch Pine #1 (Literati)

[Bonds Guy]

I got this pitch pine back in March of this year. It clearly wants to be a literati styled tree so that’s what I’m aiming for



The previous owner told me it needs a repot so I did just that and potted it in a air-pruning pot back in April. Since then, I been pretty busy with real life and forgot about it.

Recently, I really looked at its candles and realized I should’ve been pruned them. Then again I remember a podcast saying double flush pine candles should be pruned in june but I know that’s subjective since its based on climate zone.

So here’s some pics of the candles now. Should I prune them? Or is it too late?

 

[Mayank]

Best of luck with the project. Do you have any design ideas in mind? Literati is the most difficult style to pull off (convincingly that is) so I'm assuming you have some experience with the style?
When we were studying with @vancehanna, he would always have us sketch our vision of what we wanted the result to be like before doing any major work.

 

[Bonds Guy]

Best of luck with the project. Do you have any design ideas in mind? Literati is the most difficult style to pull off (convincingly that is) so I'm assuming you have some experience with the style?
When we were studying with @vancehanna, he would always have us sketch our vision of what we wanted the result to be like before doing any major work.

No experience at all. My idea is to basically leave as is and the area where the trunk comes down, have it come down and back towards the base

 

[Potawatomi13]

Good fortune with this. Do you have many illustrations of conifer Literati? Bonsai Mirai Live has good livestream(s) in library for illustration. If not search them out. Candle cutting/ramification not much concern for Literati style. Literati generally long/lanky with few branches, sparse foliage with little to no branching on lower 3/5-3/4 of trunk. Growing trunk out to eventual desired destination is primary concern with select few branches picked along course to this destination. At same time balance of roots to foliage needs attention without killing tree. Too many roots want to feed foliage and make too much growth. Too much foliage gives too much food and makes too many roots grow. Sparse foliage needs small root system for support. Until tree reaches destination however excess roots of use to hasten getting there. THEN begin carefully reducing root system to just enough to keep tree healthy.

 

[Bonds Guy]

So I removed some branches deemed unnecessary. However, there’s still more to get rid of. I just don’t know what.

Here’s a full image of the tree


I was thinking of keeping the branch on the right (with hope that it will back-bud) and bringing down and into the background but close to the trunk. However, I’m now thinking to removing it. But for now I’ll leave it because it has a cone and I will be harvesting the seeds produced.

Here’s a close up of the high point of the trunk


The blue arrows indicate 3 branches originating from the same section of the trunk. I was thinking of keeping them and prevent them from extending to avoid inverse taper. However if that’s not possible, I was gonna use the branch (indicated by the purple arrow) to add foliage in that area.

The yellow arrows indicate the same branch. I don’t plan on keeping it because it come from the top-semi front of tree and goes back and down. I feel that’s a little awkward looking. I left it to show what I plan to do with another branch in the same junction of the “blue arrow” branches.

Here’s a close up of the apex


Everything pass the red line will be removed next year or so. The yellow arrow branch is the one I may use to go down some and back towards the trunk.

Let me know what you guys think of my plan.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Meh. Remember no following rules(much)with Literati. Awkward CAN be good. Tree should have uniqueness with only small amount of foliage/branches. Choose wisely. For instance: Small branch near base of lowest branch keep. Remove rest of branch. Develop small branch downward across back of trunk and forward sweeping near ground level. (just personal idea).

 

[tanlu]

What’s the status on this guy now? I think the natural form of the tree already takes it quite far. All you need to do, as others have mentioned is select wisely which branches to remove. I wouldn’t rush this decision before you’ve done some research and put in some thought into your vision of the tree.